r extreme Beauty, their fine Wit, their Innocence,
Modesty, and above all their Birth; and that he had not a Fortune to
marry them according to their Quality; and below it, he had rather see
them laid in their silent Graves, than consent to it: for he scorn'd the
World should see him forced by his Poverty to commit an Action below his
Dignity.

There lived in a neighbouring Town, a certain Nobleman, Friend to _De
Pais_, call'd Count _Vernole_, a Man of about forty years of Age, of low
Stature, Complexion very black and swarthy, lean, lame, extreme proud
and haughty; extracted of a Descent from the Blood-Royal; not extremely
brave, but very glorious: he had no very great Estate, but was in
Election of a greater, and of an Addition of Honour from the King, his
Father having done most worthy Services against the _Hugonots_, and by
the high Favour of Cardinal _Mazarine_, was represented to his Majesty,
as a Man related to the Crown, of great Name, but small Estate: so that
there were now nothing but great Expectations and Preparations in the
Family of Count _Vernole_ to go to the Court, to which he daily hoped an
Invitation or Command.

_Vernole's_ Fortune being hitherto something a-kin to that of _De Pais_,
there was a greater Correspondency between these two Gentlemen, than
they had with any other Persons; they accounting themselves above the
rest of the World, believed none so proper and fit for their
Conversation, as that of each other: so that there was a very particular
Intimacy between them. Whenever they went abroad, they clubb'd their
Train, to make one great Show; and were always together, bemoaning each
other's Fortune, and that from so high a Descent, as one from Monarchs
by the Mother's side, and the other from Dukes of the Father's Side,
they were reduc'd by Fate to the Degree of private Gentlemen. They would
often consult how to manage Affairs most to Advantage, and often _De
Pais_ would ask Counsel of _Vernole_, how best he should dispose of his
Daughters, which now were about their ninth Year the eldest, and eighth
the youngest. _Vernole_ had often seen those two Buds of Beauty, and
already saw opening in _Atlante's_ Face and Mind (for that was the Name
of the eldest, and _Charlot_ the youngest) a Glory of Wit and Beauty,
which could not but one Day display it self, with dazling Lustre, to the
wondring World.

_Vernole_ was a great Virtuoso, of a Humour nice, delicate, critical and
opinionative: he had n